AUTHOR=Hosseini Mahsa , Jadidi Ali , Derakhshan Barjoei Mohammad Moein , Salehi Mehdi 

TITLE=Applications of leech therapy in medicine: a systematic review

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2024.1417041

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2024.1417041

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=Background: Leech therapy is one of the most widely used treatment methods in traditional medicine. The present study aimed to systematically review clinical trials regarding the effect of Leech therapy on the prevention and healing of different diseases.To identify all relevant published studies, we conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, without any temporal or geographical constraints, until April 2023. To categorize the articles, five stages were considered. The PRISMA checklist and Cochran's bias analysis tool were used.In total, 12 trials that met the inclusion criteria were studied. The results of the studies showed that Leech therapy has had successful results in treating different conditions. These included hormonal and metabolic complications, cardiovascular problems, and inflammatorybased diseases.Conclusion "Leech therapy" is a traditional medical treatment used successfully to control and treat various conditions. Although this method can have complications, it is possible to benefit from this low-cost and low-complication treatment by taking preventive measures.